How She Saved Him
by ImaginaryGhosts
Summary: Ex-Student Amanda Harris is now Severus Snape's assistant potioneer. Can she save him from himself? SeverusSnapexAmandaHarris  OC  Slight OOC from all characters. Rated M for later chapters.
1. How It Began

**Author's Note: None of the characters belong to me, except for Amanda and her family in later chapters. All others belong to J.K. Rowling.  
Story rated M for later chapters. Slight OOC.**

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

Amanda groaned and rubbed at her eyes as she rolled out of bed and walked towards her bedroom window. '_Whoever is contacting me at this time of night has a death wish',_ she thought drearily, opening her window to accept a letter from the magnificent tawny owl. She detached the parchment from the owl's leg and offered it a treat. Hooting gratefully, the owl consumed the treat and flew off into the night. Closing her window, Amanda strode back towards her bed and unfolded the letter, turning on a lamp to gain enough light to read her letter.

_Miss Harris,_

_I have decided to accept your application for the position of Potion Master's assistant. You are required to be present at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry by four pm on August twenty-second. Bring all necessary items for the school year, as you will not be returning home until next June, except for any potential emergencies. I am looking forward to seeing you soon.  
Regards,  
Severus Snape, Potions Master_

Amanda sat in awe, rereading the letter until she finally overcame the shock. Squealing, she flung open her bedroom door and ran down the hallway to knock on her housemate's door. Moments later, the door opened and a sleepy looking blonde girl stuck her head out. "What's going on, Manda?" she questioned in a slow, half asleep voice.  
"I got it! Luna, I got the job!" She did a little celebratory dance as she handed the acceptance letter over to her friend, who grinned and gave her a hug.  
"I'm so happy for you! This means Ginny and I will still get to see you this year." Luna cheered with her, and then realized that it was just past midnight. "Look, as much as I love you, I've got to get back to bed. I'm meeting Neville in the morning to go shopping for our school supplies. He likes to get it done early." She smiled serenely, and then wandered back into her room. Amanda chuckled at her friend's honesty, and returned to her room, knowing that she would not be able to sleep for the rest of the night.

The next morning was incredibly slow, and felt like it dragged on forever. Amanda felt the she didn't need to start packing until late afternoon; after all, she wasn't required to be at the school until four pm the next day. She picked herself up out of bed some time around ten in the morning and dragged herself into the bathroom to take a quick shower. After she was washed and dressed in a pair of dark track pants and a loose light blue tank top, she threw her hair up into a messy bun and trailed downstairs into the kitchen to get breakfast. Luna was long gone, as she had gone out to meet Neville a couple hours previous, so Amanda knew that she was on her own for this meal.  
Although they were both magically inclined, Amanda and Luna loved having muggle appliances to assist them in their daily lives. Amanda turned on their stereo system and cranked up the volume as a loud rock/alternative song came on. Singing along to the tune, she searched around for a clean bowl and a box of cereal. Eventually finding the desired items, she poured her breakfast until she heard a loud _pop! _in the living room. Spinning around, she held her wand at the ready in case of unwanted intruders. She breathed a sigh of relief moments later, however, when the visitor entered the room and turned out to be her recently ex-boyfriend, Draco Malfoy. The two had agreed to remain friends after their breakup, but there was still tension between them. Amanda motioned for Draco to sit down at the kitchen table, which he did. She levitated a mug of coffee to him, then grabbed her own breakfast and sat down across from him, staring him right in the eyes.  
"So, I hear you got the job working with my godfather." He said to her loftily. She nodded, as her mouth was full of cereal. "You know he is a difficult man to deal with, let alone work for, don't you?"  
"I am aware, Draco. I was at school with you for the past seven years." Amanda replied, rolling her eyes at the blond man. "I'm sure I can handle him, after all, look at the people I choose to be friends with. You're all stubborn, strong-willed, driven and moody at times." She took a sip of her tea, still keeping her eyes on her ex-boyfriend. She had to admit, he was still quite good-looking. Eighteen years old, hard-bodied from years of Quidditch, with well-kept white-blond hair and stormy grey eyes, he had always been the most sought-after male in Hogwarts. Shaking herself from her thoughts, she continued, "I'll be fine. Is this what brought you here, concern for how I will deal with an overgrown child?" Draco laughed and shook his head.  
"Yes, I suppose so. That, and the fact that I've been missing you a lot lately." He told her sincerely, his grey eyes never leaving her blue ones. "Amanda, I think we should get back together. I need you in my life, as my girlfriend, not just my friend who is a girl."  
"Draco…you cheated on me. I was gracious, and forgave you. But the terms for that forgiveness were that we just remained as friends. Why do you think that has suddenly changed?" she asked him, her voice raising a few octaves higher than usual. "I understand that you do not like this arrangement, but you have to accept it. Please, leave now and don't come back until you figure out how admit to yourself that this is all we're ever going to be now." Draco looked at her, eyes full of sadness, anger and extreme denial. Yet, moments later disapparated on the spot, leaving Amanda confused and no longer hungry.

Once Luna arrived home, Amanda told her about her strange encounter with Draco. The blonde girl hugged the dark haired girl, and then linked arms with her as they headed upstairs to begin packing up Amanda's things that she would be taking with her to Hogwarts. Luna whisked around the room, occasionally tripping over her billowing light blue dress which was slightly too long for her. Amanda was glad that she had decided to live with Luna, having been best friends in school, despite the one year age difference. When Amanda was in her second year, she had noticed the strange blonde girl in her house that always seemed to spend her time alone. One night, a group of third year Slytherin boys had been picking on Luna and Amanda stood up for her, hexing the Slytherins until Professor Flitwick caught her and gave her a detention. Ever since that night, they had been best friends and practically inseparable.  
"Manda, are you taking this with you?" Luna asked her suddenly, shaking her from her memories. She glanced up from the shoes she was sorting through to look at Luna, who was holding up a small trinket box. It was midnight blue with a single silver shooting star on the lid; a graduation gift from her mother. Although the box looked like a cheap knick-knack, in reality it was a treasured and highly valuable item that contained many of her family's secrets. Luna, of course, did not know this and was standing there waiting for an answer.  
"Yes, I am. Please pack that in with my personal items." She instructed, then returned to her shoe pile, wondering whether or not her six inch red stilettos would be considered practical for her job or not.

At nine o'clock the next morning, Amanda awoke with a start, having been in the middle of a nightmare before her alarm began to ring. Shutting it off, she ambled down to the bathroom to take the last hot shower she would be having in her home for next year. After standing under the hot water for at least an hour, she pulled herself out of the bathroom and back along to her room to find an outfit that would be remotely appropriate for her to wear for her first day at her new job. She finally decided on a pair of plain black dress pants and a mint green and white striped blouse, with a pair of black peep toe heels. Debating whether or not to wear her hair up or down, she magically rearranged her natural black hair until settling on a straight, high ponytail that accentuated her neck and jawline perfectly. To finish her look of professionalism, she applied two coats of mascara and a smear of light pink lipstick. Amanda gave herself the once over, and smiled. For a young woman of eighteen, she certainly knew how to pull off a professional work look.

It was some time around one in the afternoon when Luna finally dragged herself downstairs, wearing a pair of sleep shorts and what looked like one of Neville's shirts. Amanda looked up from the magazine she had been reading and grinned at her lazy friend, who was currently pouring herself a glass of orange juice in the kitchen and pulling her long dirty blonde hair up into a messy bun. Luna, like Amanda, had become quite adept at using wandless magic for everyday tasks, such as pouring drinks or cleaning up around the house. The younger woman sat down on the couch across from her friend, crossing her legs in a childlike fashion. "You know, it's going to be weird having the house to myself for a couple days." She stated, sipping her juice and looking at the dark haired girl. Amanda looked up, and sighed.  
"I know. We've lived together for what, a year now? It'll be strange seeing each other at Hogwarts, but living in the same little environment." Luna nodded at Amanda's words. It was true, they would have to get used to the fact that they wouldn't be able to be as close at Hogwarts, since Luna was still a student and Amanda was now a part of the staff. The two sat and reminisced until Amanda realized that it was fifteen minutes until her expected arrival at the school. They said their goodbyes, and after gathering all of her paraphernalia together, Amanda disapparated, excited that she was about to begin a new chapter in her life.


	2. Discovering Her Living Quarters

The moment that Amanda reached her apparition destination; she regretted wearing a long-sleeved blouse. The temperature in Hogsmeade was even hotter than it was back in London. Fanning herself, she made sure that none of her bags had been lost in transport, and began to walk towards the magnificently large castle in front of her known as Hogwarts.

Amanda reached the gates of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry exactly five minutes before she was due for her meeting with her new employer. She performed the necessary charms for disabling the wards, which she had learned years previously from watching Dumbledore disable and enable them for various reasons on her nightly walks on the grounds. After putting the charms back on, she half walked, half ran up to the heavy wooden doors of the school. The doors seemed to recognize her presence, as they opened right as she raised her hand to knock. She smiled as she entered the castle, all of the accustomed sights and smells reminding her of her past seven years here. Her reverie was interrupted by a familiar voice. "Miss Harris, it's nice to see you back here." Headmistress Minerva McGonagall said with a welcoming smile on her face. Amanda grinned and embraced the elder witch warmly.  
"Minerva, it's lovely to see you. How have you been? Summer been treating you well?" She inquired, as the older woman began to lead her towards the lower levels of the school: The Slytherin Dungeon.  
"Oh, I've been doing alright, despite the extremely warm weather we've been getting up here. It's usually fairly temperate in the castle, anyway. What have you been up to since graduation? I'm sorry we had to cut your summer short, but it is required to always have our staff here before the twenty-fifth of August." Minerva gave her an apologetic look, and Amanda chuckled.  
"It's quite alright. Luna and I had just been doing some renovations around our home, painting and decorating the more prominent rooms. We'd just finished the main bathroom before I got my acceptance letter from Severus." Amanda explained, traipsing down the stairs and turning in the direction of the Potions classroom, where she was set to meet with Severus and Minerva to discuss the terms and conditions of her job, as well as the benefits. The two women chitchatted about their lives until they reached the end of the corridor, and Minerva knocked upon the Potions classroom door.  
"Enter." A soft, deep whisper called out from behind the thick door, the sound of his rich baritone voice making Amanda shiver slightly. Excitedly, she pushed open the door and headed inside, ready to begin the meeting that would surely change her life.

"Good afternoon, Minerva, Miss Harris." Severus Snape greeted them casually, nodding at each woman as he said their name. He sat behind his teaching desk, feet propped up on top of it. The middle-aged man was dressed in a plain, white button-up shirt that was tucked in to black dress pants and his hair was pulled back off of his face in a loose ponytail. For Amanda, it was almost strange seeing him without his customary greasy hair and black cloak.  
"Good afternoon, Severus. Are you quite ready for us, or should we return later?" Minerva asked, glancing towards what looked to be his lesson plans for the upcoming year. He smirked and tucked the papers away into a desk drawer.  
"No, now is fine. Would either of you like a cup of tea?" he offered, surprising Amanda to no end. Severus Snape was actually kind? She couldn't wait to write to Luna tonight to tell her about this.  
"No, thank you. I believe some tea would be in order for Miss Harris, though. She has been travelling." Minerva replied, shooting Amanda a sideways glance. Severus nodded, and moments later, Amanda had a steaming cup of tea floating in front of her. She grasped the cup and smiled.  
"Thank you, sir." She said in a quiet voice, before sipping the hot beverage. Minerva began to explain the foundations and terms of being on the staff at Hogwarts, and then Severus took over from her, informing her of her duties as Potion Master's assistant. The young witch nodded along, drinking her tea and mentally taking notes about some of the more important rules that applied specifically to her.  
"Now, teaching and assisting aside, I assume that you would like to see where you'll be living whilst you are here?" Severus inquired. Amanda smiled slightly, and nodded.  
"Yes, please. That's probably an important thing to know." She replied, and Minerva chortled lightly.  
"Well, Severus, I figure that you can wrap up the meeting on your own. Miss Harris is already familiar with most of the school, having found most of the secret rooms and such on her nightly rendezvouses during her time as a student here." Amanda blushed; she hadn't known that Minerva had been aware of her insomnia and midnight walks. "Besides, I heard that Pomona is looking for me. Apparently, she is having trouble with her husband and needs my advice." Minerva rolled her eyes and wandered away, leaving Severus looking almost dumbstruck and Amanda in silent giggles.

"While you are here, this will be your living quarters." Professor Snape gestured towards a painting of giant raven, perched on a tree branch. "Hello, Brenner. This young woman will be residing in the rooms behind you from now on." The bird looked at her, and nodded.  
"Good afternoon, young one. What is your name?" the raven asked, it's voice a higher, unexpected tone.  
"Amanda Harris. Your name is Brenner, meaning little raven?" she replied, and he nodded. "Alright. Do I set my own password, or do you?" she asked Brenner.  
"You choose your entrance password, as these rooms now belong to you. You are also capable of choosing who you would like me to grant entrance to, whether they know the password or not." Brenner informed her. Severus laid a hand on Amanda's shoulder, and she turned to look at him, having almost forgotten that he was still there.  
"I can see that you two will get along nicely. Feel free to go explore and set up your room. You've been assigned a house elf, who will serve you your meals that you choose to eat in your rooms, and who will also clean for you. If you need anything else, my room is behind the portrait of Salazar. The password is Albus." He added, his voice dropping from cheery to solemn in seconds. Amanda noticed the hurt etched across his facial features, and knew that he still blamed himself for the death of the man known as the greatest wizard ever to have lived. Amanda touched his cheek lightly, startling Severus into looking directly into her piercing blue eyes.  
"Thank you, Severus. I'm eternally grateful to you for accepting me for this position." She gave him a gentle hug, before turning around to Brenner. She heard his footsteps receding down the hallway moments later, and she smiled at the raven. "I think that I would like to set my password as _Antirrhinum majus, _which is the scientific name for snapdragons, and the only person I would like to be restricted from my rooms until further notice is Draco Malfoy." She instructed the raven.  
"Of course, madam. Please, come in and have a look around." Brenner told her warmly, before swinging open to accept her into her new living quarters.

Amanda's jaw dropped as soon as she entered the room. Her living room was painted in a cheery silver-grey, and had a brick fireplace, which would come in handy in the winter. The room was furnished with two black leather couches, and matching reclining chairs, along with a chestnut coloured wooden coffee table, bookcases with the same finish and a fluffy-looking white rug that covered the entire floor of the area. She fell in love with the room right then and there, but continued onwards to the small kitchen, which she was thrilled to find had a refrigerator, an oven, a microwave and a toaster. It was painted in a sunny-looking yellow, whilst her cabinets were the same silver-grey colour as her living room and her counters were solid granite. So far, Amanda was almost convinced that she would never want to leave her living quarters. She trailed down the hallway, quickly inspecting the bathroom, decorated in mint green, with a jacuzzi tub and mirrored cabinet on her way, she finally reached her new bedroom. Opening the dark wooden door, she gasped as she took in her new room. Painted in a romantic midnight blue, her bedroom window had an eyelevel view of the Black Lake, seeing as her quarters were in the dungeon. The lighting fixtures were modern, and exactly matched the ones in her room in London. Like her living room, her bedroom had the dark wooden bookcase and white fluffy carpet. She opened her closet, and cheered inwardly. She had a walk-in closet! Finally, she looked towards the bed, which like all of the other wooden furniture, was finished in a dark, chestnut brown. Her bedspread was silver and black, and her pillows looked softer than anything else she had ever seen. Amanda positively beamed, and began unpacking.


	3. The Beginnings of a Beautiful Friendship

As it was almost seven thirty by the time Amanda had finished unpacking, she decided not to go down to the Great Hall to eat dinner with everyone else. The house elf that Severus had spoken of arrived around seven, introducing herself as Blinkie, brought her some mashed potatoes, chicken and a cup of tea.

After a long day of travelling and unpacking, Amanda decided that she should take a relaxing bath, which would also get rid of all the dirt and sweat that had built up over the day. Twenty minutes later, she lay in the steaming hot water, reflecting on the past couple of days. As she soaped down her body, she thought of the man that used to be Severus Snape and who he was now. His kindness, the way he dressed and acted was so different to the way he had always been when she was a student here. _Perhaps he just hates students,_ she thought as she rinsed off and drained away the water, _or maybe the war changed him._ Amanda dried herself off and pulled on a baggy red t-shirt that reached her knees and a pair of black leggings; her preferred sleep wear. She pulled her hair out of its hair elastic and ran her fingers through the curls that had formed throughout the day. Looking at the clock that hung above her dresser, she realized that it was only nine o'clock. _I wonder if he's still awake…_

Ten minutes later, after she had pulled on a pair of slippers and grabbed her wand, Amanda found herself standing in front of the portrait of Salazar Slytherin. The founder looked down at her, scanning her. "Password, miss?" he asked in a snide voice.  
"Um…Albus." She said nervously. The portrait swung open, and Amanda entered, noting the dark interior almost instantly. "Severus, are you here? It's me, Amanda." She called, looking around but trying not to be nosy at the same time. She heard a door creak open, and felt slightly guilty because she was sure that she had woken up him. A split second later, he appeared in the dull light of the living room, dressed only in a loose pair of black track pants.  
"Good evening, Amanda. What brings you here?" he asked her, gesturing for her to sit down on his couch, which was similar to the one in her living room. "Also, would you like some green tea? I just made a fresh pot." Amanda smiled at his generosity.  
"I'm sorry to have disturbed you, I just wanted to come down and have someone to talk to. I'm so used to having Luna around; it's almost weird living by myself now. And yes, some tea would be lovely." She replied, settling down comfortably on his couch. Severus nodded, and headed into the kitchen to fetch his guest some tea. He returned less than a minute later with two cups of green tea and handed one to Amanda, who thanked him and placed it on the table beside her.  
"You know, I'm surprised you came to me for someone to talk to. I would have thought you'd go to Minerva." Severus told her, his tone slightly bemused. Amanda sipped her tea thoughtfully, her light eyes never leaving his dark ones.  
"You assume too much. I actually believe that I have more in common with you than I do with her." Severus raised his eyebrows, but motioned for her to continue. "Well, judging by the way that your living quarters are finished, you were the one that arranged for mine to be decorated the way that they are. I happen to absolutely adore your taste in furnishings, by the way. Also, both you and I are extremely proficient at brewing potions and studying Defense Against the Dark Arts. We've both grown up with difficult home lives and much preferred to be here, at Hogwarts and apparently, we have a similar taste in music." She finished, nodding her head towards a collection of CDs that resembled her iPod in disk format. The man across from her sat in silence, his mouth slightly open in shock. He appeared to shake it off moments later, and he offered her a small smile.  
"Well, well, well. Miss Harris, you seem to be more intelligent than I believed in the first place. Yes, it was I who furnished your living quarters and I'm pleased to hear that you are happy with my choice in décor. You're also correct about our talents in school and my poor home life, though I am unsure as to how you knew about that. As for the music, we will see." He smirked at her, and using wandless magic, he turned on the muggle stereo and a gentle rock tune began to play through its speakers.  
"ACDC…classic." She nodded her approval, and drained the rest of her tea. "Oh, I meant to ask you earlier…how should I refer to you in front of the students; Professor Snape, Severus or Master?" Amanda questioned, the suggestive implication weighing heavily on her last word. The older man choked into his cup, but recovered quickly. Whether he was red in the face from choking, or from embarrassment, she wasn't sure.  
"Professor Snape is acceptable. I think Severus is too casual in the classroom setting." He croaked, his voice still not quite back to its usual standard. Amanda placed her hand on his shoulder, and used the other to turn his face towards hers.  
"Severus, are you okay?" She asked him, her voice filled with concern. Severus brought his eyes up to meet hers.  
"Yes, I'm fine. The tea just went down the wrong way. When did you get so coquettish, Miss Harris?" he questioned, still trying to recover from her previous comment. Amanda couldn't help but laugh at his bluntness.  
"I've always been flirtatious, Sev. You just never knew it until now." Her use of his childhood nickname made him want to cringe and smile, all at the same time. He chose the latter, and thankfully, she did not seem to pick up on wincing, just the grin at the end. Suddenly, the sound of his clock striking ten o'clock sounded throughout the room, apparently cueing Amanda to prepare to leave. "Well, I believe that I'm going to go to bed now. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning, _Professor._" She emphasized the last word with a flirty smile, and before he knew what was happening, her warm lips were pressed against his cold cheek. As brief as the gesture was, it left Severus feeling warm all over as she departed from his quarters.  
"Goodnight, Amanda." He called out after her, realizing moments later that she'd already been gone for a good five minutes.

Amanda awoke the next morning with an extremely satisfied feeling and a boost of energy. Showering quickly, she dressed in her exercise gear, which consisted of black cycle shorts, a lavender coloured tank top and gleaming white running shoes. She charmed her hair to stay away from her face whilst she was running, and after consuming an apple, she headed out of her quarters and ran down the corridor until she reached the portrait of Salazar Slytherin. Just like the previous night, he regarded her with much distaste, as he was most likely aware that she was a Ravenclaw. "Password?" he asked her.  
"Albus." She replied dryly, rolling her eyes at how much he appeared to distrust her. He granted her access and she hopped through the portrait hole, surprising herself at the amount of energy she had this morning. She was shocked to find Severus sitting in one of the reclining chairs, reading _The Prophet_ and drinking a cup of coffee. He was already showered, she noticed, as his hair was still wet. "Good morning, Severus." She said brightly. He turned slightly and looked at her.  
"Miss Harris, why are you up so early? I would have thought a teenager, such as yourself, would prefer to sleep in until noon when given the chance instead rising at seven in the morning." He told her in an amused tone.  
"Sleeping in isn't really my thing. I prefer to get up earlier so that I can accomplish more throughout the day. Today, I'm incredibly high energy and would like to go for a run. Are you up for the challenge?" Amanda teased, flipping her long, wavy hair back over her shoulder. Sighing, Severus pulled himself out of his comfortable looking chair and told her to give him five minutes to go change into something more suitable for exercising. She nodded, and began stretching while she was waiting. As she was bent double, stretching out the muscles in her calves and hamstrings, she heard a small gasp from behind her.  
"Whoa." Severus Snape had returned from changing to see his ex-student bent over, her ass sticking straight out towards him in a pair of tight, spandex shorts. "Sorry, I,er…didn't mean to walk in on you like that." He stumbled over his words, trying to regain his composure. Amanda straightened, now red faced from having him see her like that.  
"It's alright. I shouldn't have been facing that direction while stretching." She laughed awkwardly, and he offered her an apologetic smile. Trying to recover some sense of poise, she cleared her throat and turned towards the door. "Are you ready to go?"  
"If you mean 'Am I ready to kick your ass', then yes." He replied cheekily, giving her a slight shove on his way out the portrait hole. Amanda smirked at him, then turned to pin him up against the wall, making him gasp again.  
"Let's see if you can keep up, old man." She whispered in his ear, although he was more focused on the fact that her body was pressed up against his and that it was making his own body react traitorously. All too soon, she pulled away and raced off up the stairs. Severus gave himself a moment to calm his hormones, and then proceeded to chase after her.

Two hours, many debates and a shared workout later, Amanda and Severus sat in her living room, drinking water and talking about how they had been affected by the war that had occurred the previous year. "I don't know which is worse, Severus; the fact that we lost so many people, or the fact that so many of them were innocent." She sighed, shaking her head in dismay. He gently laid a hand over hers, making her look at him almost gratefully.  
"I know, Amanda. The losses were great and terrible. I don't think anyone regrets it more than I do." He told her in a low tone, and she nodded in understanding. Severus was almost killed by Nagini, Voldemort's precious snake, but he was saved right before death by Fawkes. Although it took him the better part of two months to heal, he walked away from it alive, which was more than a lot of other people could say. Amanda moved closer to the older man and rested her head gently on his shoulder. She felt him jump slightly, but then relax as he threw an arm around her shoulders.  
"I'm just thankful that I got to walk away from it alive and relatively unharmed. The worst part of it was watching my friends die." Amanda paused, and wiped away the hot tears which were beginning to roll down her cheeks.  
"Hey, hey, don't cry. All those who died did not die in vain. They died fighting for a cause in which they believed in, which to me, makes them heroes." Severus whispered gently to her, stroking her hair in a comforting way. Amanda snuggled closer to him, her eyes closed in thought.  
"You're right. They did die as heroes; the light in a time of darkness." She replied, before drifting off into a well-deserved nap.


	4. A New Addition

Amanda groaned, and stretched out. She had enjoyed her long nap, which had carried her through until almost five thirty that evening. Sitting up, she realized that she was alone; Severus must have left some time earlier in the afternoon. A piece of parchment lying on the coffee table caught her eye, and she reached over and grabbed it.

_Amanda,_

I'm sorry I left without properly saying goodbye, but you looked like you needed a good sleep and I had a couple tasks that needed to be completed. I hope that you aren't too far away in dreamland and that you read this prior to dinner time, so that I will see you down in the Great Hall with the rest of the staff.  
Sincerely,  
Severus. 

Amanda grinned reading the letter from her employer, and looked up at the clock hanging above her fireplace. _Great, I have just enough time for a quick shower to freshen up, _she thought to herself. Folding the parchment, she took it into her room and placed it in the drawer beside her bed with a smile.

Twenty-five minutes later, the black-haired beauty stood outside the Great Hall nervously. This was the first time that she would be dining with the teachers and staff of Hogwarts as a part of the staff instead of as a student. She smoothed down her hair, which was charmed into a curly up do and took a deep breath. Upon opening the doors, she sighed in relief. It appeared that most of the other adults were running behind, as the only people present were Minerva, Filius Flitwick and Hagrid, the groundskeeper. Filius waved cheerily at her, whereas Hagrid positively beamed and stood up to embrace her as she approached the table. After receiving a nearly bone crushing hug from the half-giant and shaking hands with her ex-Head of House, she took an empty seat next to Minerva, who smiled warmly at her. "Good evening, Miss Harris. I'm glad that you decided to join us for dinner. Where did you get that skirt? It's very pretty." Minerva commented. Amanda blushed slightly and ran a hand over her black skirt that was printed with tiny colourful flowers.  
"Thank you, it's from one of my favourite vintage muggle stores. I'm sorry I didn't surface from the dungeons until now, I've just been so tired and trying to unpack is such a pain." Amanda told her, grasping the goblet of pumpkin juice that had appeared in front of her and drinking from it gratefully. Minerva nodded in understanding.  
"Don't worry about it, dear. We've all had to make the adjustment at some point. I don't know if you're aware of this or not, but you are not the only new addition to our staff this year." Minerva informed her, as more of the teachers began to file in for dinner. As they recognized Amanda, they would wave and smile at her, or congratulate her on getting the job. Amanda couldn't help but notice that Severus was the only person who was missing, but she kept this to herself. Once everyone had sat down and the chattering died, Minerva stood up and addressed them all. "Good evening, teachers and staff of Hogwarts. It's quite nice to see you all again, back for another year. I would just like to make a small announcement about the changes in staffing this year. Two new members have been added; Miss Amanda Harris, whom I am sure that you all remember teaching at some point during her seven years as a student, has taken on an apprenticeship position as a potions assistant. The second new addition this year is Mister Harry Potter, who has kindly offered to take on the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher until we can find a more suitable replacement." As if on cue, the heavy oak doors flung open, and in walked Harry, who was closely followed by Severus. Amanda's face broke out into a huge grin; Harry was going to be here too!  
"Sorry about being late, everyone. I left packing a little too late." He grinned apologetically at the staff and took a seat next to Hagrid, who clapped him on the back and welcomed him to the 'team'. This left Severus sitting in the last available chair, which was beside Amanda. He slid into the seat cautiously, as if he expected her to be angry about him leaving earlier. As soon as everyone became involved in their food and small talk, she turned to him.  
"I'm not mad at you, you know." She whispered quietly, before spooning some tomato soup into her mouth. "Believe me, if I was mad, you would've known it the moment that you entered with Harry. Don't you remember that time in my fifth year when I completely lost it at the Weasley twins over breakfast?" Severus snorted into his food at her words, clearly remembering this public disagreement that caused the red-headed twins to grow antlers and Minerva to give Amanda a month's worth of detentions.  
"Well, in any case, I'm thrilled that you aren't going to give me any type of horns." He replied with a smirk and Amanda leaned in closer to him, disregarding the fact that they were still having dinner with the rest of the teachers.  
"Actually, I think you'd look better with a tail." She smiled seductively at him, then stood up and waved goodnight to the rest of the staff, who had seemingly missed this exchange between the two. This of course, was untrue, as a certain dark haired boy stood up moments later and followed her down towards Slytherin Dungeon.

"Amanda, can you tell this bloody bird to let me in?" The girl chuckled, hearing Harry's annoyed voice calling from the outside of her guarding portrait. Making sure that all the buttons on her yellow blouse were still intact, Amanda calmly opened the portrait hole, which revealed a very irritated looking Harry. She turned towards the raven, who looked mutinous.  
"Brenner, this is Harry. Harry Potter. He is allowed in whenever he wants, regardless of whether he has the password or not." She explained to the raven, who nodded reluctantly. "Harry, I'm pleased that you came to see me. Come in." She gestured for him to follow her in, which he did.  
"Nice décor. Mine's mostly done in Gryffindor's colours and shades of grey." He commented, seating himself in one of the reclining chairs. Amanda sat on the end of the couch that was closest to him, and magicked them two cups of tea. "Thanks, Manda." He smiled at her, but then remembered why he had followed her out. "Hey, I have a question for you."  
"Alright, shoot. I have nothing to hide." She responded, sipping her tea. Harry set his down on the coffee table and looked her dead in the eyes.  
"Is there something going on between you and Severus Snape? I saw that little interaction between the two of you at dinner, and I heard rumours about how the two of you were out together this morning, then returned down here together and no one had seen you until dinner time. Now, I know that he came to show me my living area before dinner, but what was going on before that?" Harry asked her, curious as to what her answer would be.  
"Harry, I can honestly say that I don't know what's going on between Severus and I. I've only been here for a day and a half, and he's already my closest friend here, minus you. I found out that we happen to have a lot in common and seeing as I will be working mostly for him, it seemed like a good idea to get to know the man. If you are worried that I'm going to develop feelings for him…well, we'll deal with that if the time comes. There is no way that I'm looking for a relationship right now, not since the latest blow up with Draco." She exhaled, having not realized that her voice had been getting louder and louder until she had finished her mini-rant. Harry placed a comforting hand atop hers.  
"Okay, okay. I just want to look out for you. You're like my sister, and it would kill me if anything happened to you. As for Draco, what did that idiot bastard do now?" Harry's tone changed from one of love to one of pure anger. Amanda explained how he had showed up at her house and almost pleaded with her to get back together. The dark-haired man shook his head in disgust at the actions of the slimy Slytherin. "How could he expect you to want to get back together with him after he cheated on you with Astoria Greengrass?" he exclaimed, flabbergasted.  
"I have no idea. That boy is something else." She replied coolly, draining the rest of her tea. Harry nodded, and rose from the recliner.  
"I'm going to head off upstairs to finish unpacking. I'm behind the portrait of the young couple kissing under the awning, alright? If you need me, don't be afraid to come get me." Harry kissed her cheek, and then headed off to his rooms. Amanda smiled and shook her head. She was completely drained of all her energy; she couldn't even pick herself up and walk down to her bedroom. With a muttered spell, she transfigured her outfit from a skirt and blouse into a pair of sleep shorts and a tank top. Setting her wand down on the table, she curled up on the couch and fell into a long, dreamless sleep.

Groaning, Amanda stretched out after waking up the next morning. After showering, she decided to go have breakfast in the Great Hall. This morning, she dressed simply; wearing a plain white V-neck shirt and a pair of dark washed denim shorts. Her soaked hair was pulled back with a headband and she figured that makeup wouldn't be necessary today. Sliding on a pair of purple flip flops, Amanda headed out of her portrait hole and up the stairs. Having had no place to store her wand, she knew that if trouble arose, she'd have to rely on wandless magic. Heading upstairs, she passed Severus' room without knocking; she figured he was already upstairs. Moments later, her suspicions were confirmed as she joined him at the head table, a bright smile on her face. "Hello, Severus. How are you this fine morning?" she asked, pouring herself a glass of pumpkin juice.  
"Good morning, Amanda. You're in a good mood." He commented, running his eyes over her outfit approvingly. Amanda chugged down her drink, then piled her plate high with hashbrowns, toast, eggs and various fruits, before grabbing Severus's hand and dragging him out of the Great Hall. "Where on earth are we going?" he half-yelled, flabbergasted.  
"Outside, of course. It's such a lovely day. I don't see any reason for us to remain inside when the weather is absolutely beautiful." She replied, marching them along the grass until finally settling down underneath a large oak tree. She magically produced another plate, and pushed half of the food onto it, handing it to her companion.  
"You know, I hardly think that this is sanitary. I mean, what about all the animals that lay waste here? And all the bugs? Surely you don't want ants in your breakfast." Severus made a face as he joined Amanda on the ground. She looked at him, piercing his black eyes with her blue and smiled.  
"Severus…just shut up and enjoy the sunshine."


	5. Getting A Sense of Who We Are

Lying out in the early morning sun was a nice change for breakfast, especially in the company of a highly intelligent wizard who knew how to debate a cause. "But Severus, while Journey was a good band, they really had very few well known songs." Amanda pointed out, finishing the last of her pumpkin juice. Severus Snape shook his head at her.  
"So what if only a few were popular? All of their songs were brilliant." He replied stubbornly, stretching his arms above his head before falling backwards to lay on the ground with her.  
"Think what you what. I know the truth." She teased, closing her eyes and tilting her face towards the bright sunshine. Snape took that opportunity to truly look at her without getting the feeling that she'd be weirded out. He observed her naturally curly dark hair, which flowed nicely and fanned out underneath her head and her long eyelashes, which appeared to be make-up free. Her clear skin almost glowed in the sun, radiating the essence of her beauty. However, he could see faint scars near the bottom of her hair line and along her neck. He winced, knowing what they were. Battle scars. Almost everyone who had survived the war had them. He continued his glance down her body, which was slender, yet curvy in all the right places. For a young woman of just eighteen, she seemed like she should be much older. He decided, right at that moment, that he wanted to know more about her.  
"Miss Harris, would you mind answering some questions? I just feel like we should know more about each other since we're going to be around each other a lot." He asked lamely. Amanda opened one eye and smiled.  
"Of course, Severus. I will answer your questions, if you will answer mine." She replied, now turning over to face him and propping herself up with one arm.  
"Alright, that seems fair. Although, do not expect me to answer all of the questions you ask." He told her, mimicking her action so that they were now facing each other. She nodded, and he began his questions. "What's your life like outside of Hogwarts?"  
"When I was eleven, being accepted for Hogwarts was the most exciting moment of my life. I had a horrible time at home, with my father always away on 'business' trips and my mother drinking herself stupid while he was gone. I ended up leaving when I was sixteen, buying a place with Luna Lovegood last year because she needed a change too. We've lived together since then, and just finished redecorating before I got my job acceptance. She's my best friend, along with Hermione, Harry and surprisingly, Blaise Zabini. There's a huge selection of us from all four houses that get along really well." She took a breath here, and magically refilled her pumpkin juice. After taking some big sips, she continued talking. "Draco and I dated, until he cheated on me. I forgave him, but vowed never to take him back, despite his pleas. I don't deserve to have any more shit in my life." She concluded, looking him in the eyes. "Now it's my turn. Why did you pick me for this job? I'm sure you had many other more qualified applicants."  
"The reason I chose you, is because you have a lot of personality, compared to the other mindless drones that applied. Yes, it is true that they have more experience and training but they have been out of work for many years, whereas as you just graduated. I also believe that you would be more willing to learn new concepts than those who are set in their own ways. You're… refreshing." He told her, making her smile.  
"I'm glad that I'm so interesting to you. Now, I believe it's your turn to ask me something." She said, still smiling. He returned her grin with a small one of his own.  
"If you were so happy with your life, why did you apply for a job that would take you away from it?" he asked her curiously. She sighed and flopped over onto her stomach.  
"I like change." She responded simply. They questioned each other until mid-afternoon, until Harry bustled out of the castle in running gear and asked Amanda if she wanted to go work out with him. Regretfully, she turned to Severus and told him she would see him at dinner before running up to the castle to change. Harry tried to make unsuccessful small talk with Snape, but the pair found it just too awkward after years of bad blood. Amanda returned ten minutes later, just as Severus had finished packing up. He tried not to gasp as he observed her outfit choice: another pair of black spandex shorts, these ones much shorter than the others and a bright pink ribbed tank with her usual running shoes. "I'll see you at dinner, Sev." She told him again, before starting a fast paced jog that caused her bum to jiggle pleasantly underneath the dark fabric. Harry followed Snape's stare, then cleared his throat before briskly jogging to catch up with his friend. Snape turned a deep red before heading back to the castle. _Damn it, _he thought, _that Potter boy is going to tell her that I was staring at her ass. Again._ Then the realization hit him. He had been staring at her ass. Again.

Dinner rolled around in no time at all, and after a refreshing dip in the lake, Amanda now sat in the Great Hall, dressed in a tight Slytherin green sleeveless shirt and white dress pants. Her silver sandals were beaded across the straps beautifully; they had been a gift from Ginny last Christmas. Her hair hung curly down head back and across her shoulders and bounced beautifully as she joked with Hagrid about some of the stupid stunts she had played not that long ago with her cohorts. Suddenly, the doors flew open and the rest of the staff flooded in, all dressed in a variety of styles ranging from casual to classy. She liked seeing some of her former teachers dressed down in jeans and t-shirts instead of their usual robes that they donned throughout the year. Severus sat down beside her, dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a navy blue t-shirt. "Good evening, Miss Harris." He greeted, addressing her formally.  
Amanda smiled at him.  
"Good evening, Professor. How was your afternoon?" She asked politely, gathering a pile of peas onto her fork before shoving it in her mouth.  
"It was very nice. I spent most of it finishing my lesson plans, which I hope we can review tomorrow morning." He responded, looking at her quite intently.  
"That sounds great. Shall I stop by around ten?" She inquired, now starting in on her potatoes. Severus smiled a rare, true smile. He had to admit, he liked a woman who could eat.  
"Ten sounds perfect." He told her, and then began his own meal.

At five minutes to ten the next morning, Amanda showed up at Severus' quarters, dressed nicely in an above the knee black skirt with a red sleeveless blouse that she had buttoned up enough to hide her generous chest and a matching pair of red flats with cute little white bows on the toe of each shoe. The portrait of Salazar Slytherin regarded her with more interest this time, although she was not sure whether it was because he was getting used to her or because he liked what he saw. "Password?" he inquired.  
"Albus." She told him, but he didn't open to accept her right away. Instead, he dropped his voice low before whispering to her.  
"Miss Harris, you look far nicer and more intelligent than the women who have previously passed through here over the years. Though I am not known for house unity, I did have the utmost respect for Rowena and I am glad to see someone as engaging as you come from her house. Bring the Professor out of his shell, Miss Harris. You have great potential." The portrait finally swung open to allow her admittance, but before she entered, she whispered a quick 'thank you' to the founder. She entered the living room of his quarters, and found him seated at a desk near the window, focusing on his work intently. She approached his desk carefully, without him noticing.  
"Severus?" she whispered quietly. He jolted and looked up.  
"Amanda. I didn't hear you come in. Sorry, I was just doing some…research." He informed her, tidying up his papers. She sat across from him and waited patiently for their meeting to begin. Severus pulled another folder out of a drawer and opened in on the desk in front of her. "This is what I was thinking of doing for the first week or so. The plan depicts each year being taught, as well as the day and either the theory, lesson or potion that is assigned that day." He explained. "Would you like a drink while you're here? Tea, perhaps?" Amanda smiled. He already knew her well.  
"Yes, thank you. I'll just take a glance over the first couple months. After all, I'm just the assistant. You're the man with the plan." She said, making her employer laugh.  
"Good lord, 'man with the plan'? I can't believe you just said that." He guffawed all the way to the kitchen, where he prepared their drinks. Amanda just smiled and flipped through the pages, reading over the carefully thought out plans.  
"You're not teaching the bezoar lesson until November? But that's like, the most important lesson of first year!" She called out. Snape brought out a tray with two cups of tea and a plate of assorted biscuits and placed them down on the desk between the two of them. He sat back down, and after sipping his tea, he responded to her question.  
"Well… I thought that there were other important lessons that needed to be taught first. Plus, the only person who's ever used a bezoar in my last fifteen years of teaching was Potter when he gave it to Weasley after he was poisoned." Snape picked up a chocolate covered biscuit and took a bite. Amanda sighed.  
"But Sev, that's exactly it! If you hadn't taught that lesson, he never would've known. Yes, that didn't happen until our sixth year, but what if it had happened during their first week at Hogwarts? Ron would've died." She ended on a whisper. Severus placed a hand over hers on the desk.  
"But he didn't, because surprisingly, Potter can retain information. If you really feel that strongly about it, I can change some of the lessons around and incorporate it into the first day's plans." He told her in a soft voice. Amanda gave him a slight smile, and nodded.  
"Thank you, Professor. Now, if you don't mind too terribly, I have to go meet up with a couple of friends in Hogsmeade before we all have to return to our jobs for the year." She stood up and smoothed down her skirt, before leaning forwards to give him a quick hug. "I'll see you later." She told him, before turning around and heading back towards her quarters to prepare for what was sure to be an afternoon of entertainment.


	6. Where Would We Be Without Our Friends?

Dressed in a pair of beige cargo capri pants and a loose fitting black tank top, Amanda pulled on a pair of black sparkly flip flops and headed out to meet her friends at the Hog's Head pub in Hogsmeade. On her walk down, she thought about what her life was going to be like as a Potion's assistant. The prospect of being around knowledge and intelligent people all the time was exciting to her. It also gave her a means of escape from Draco. At least here, she could avoid him. She reached the pub fifteen minutes later and searched for her friends, wanting to enjoy a little bit of her past before her future truly began.

"Amanda, over here!" Hermione Granger's familiar voice called to her. Amanda smiled and walked over to one of the booths that were almost hidden near the back of that location. Sitting at the booth were some of her closest friends: Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, Luna Lovegood and Blaise Zabini. Each one of them rose to give her a hug, and then the five of them settled comfortably into the booth.  
"Where's Ginny? I thought she was coming up with you guys." Amanda asked. Hermione and Blaise smirked, whilst Ron scowled slightly.  
"She decided to spend some time with Harry, because once the new school year starts, they won't be able to together that much." Luna replied with a smile. Amanda nodded; she knew that student/teacher relationships were prohibited at Hogwarts.  
"So how is the job going so far? Anything particularly exciting happening up in the castle?" Zabini inquired before taking a sip of his Butterbeer.  
"Well, since the term hasn't started yet, there's not much going on. Most of the teachers are just finalizing their lesson plans and setting up their classrooms. You know, it's funny seeing them dressed casually during meal times." She told them, and they all laughed. She listened as Hermione talked about her goals to study Charms and gain a degree in the subject and as Ronald excitedly described to them all about his upcoming Auror training. Amanda was happy for her friends; they were all able to take part in a career that truly interested them. Suddenly, Blaise asked her a question that completely snapped her out of her own thoughts.  
"Amanda, what happened with Draco? He came back to our flat last week after visiting you and he was on the verge of a complete breakdown." Amanda sighed.  
"I told him I wasn't going to be with him anymore. He randomly just showed up and practically begged me to take him back, and I told him no. I can forgive him for cheating on him with Astoria, but I will never be able to trust him again." She explained to her group of friends. They all nodded sympathetically. Draco had fucked up royally and everyone, including himself, knew it. The five friends chatted and drank Butterbeer for the rest of the afternoon, until it was time for Amanda to head back up to the castle for dinner. She gave everyone another hug, and then departed quickly, running back up to the castle in hopes of making it back in time for food.

Thankfully, she reached the castle just in time. The rest of the staff were heading into the Great Hall and she joined the queue of teachers. Severus was already seated in his usual spot and he looked up when the rest of the staff entered the room. Amanda smiled at him, and took her seat beside him. "Hi, Professor." She greeted him happily.  
"Good evening, Miss Harris. How was your afternoon with your friends?" he inquired as their food began to appear. Amanda grabbed a forkful of mashed potatoes before answering him.  
"Oh, it was great. We just talked and drank at the Hog's Head. Aberforth is a bit strange, but I'm glad to give him the business." Severus smiled at her.  
"That's very kind of you. I didn't know you drank." He commented, and she laughed.  
"Today, it was just Butterbeer. I don't get into any hard liquor while the sun is still up." She winked at him before taking a bite of chicken. Snape choked on the piece of steak that he had been swallowing at the time, and Amanda whacked him in the back until he stopped coughing. The whole table was now looking at them and she waved them off, stating that he "just swallowed in the wrong way." Passing him a glass of water, she kept rubbing little circles on his back. "Are you okay?" she asked with a concerned look in her eyes.  
"Yes, I am fine. Somehow, you keep managing to surprise me." He replied, sipping the water carefully. "It seems like I should come to expect such behaviour from you, but apparently, I do not."  
"I'm sorry; I don't mean to make you keep choking. Next time, I'll make sure that there's no food or drink anywhere in your vicinity." She giggled, which made him smile.  
"Your concern is touching." He replied, rolling his eyes. Amanda patted him on the shoulder, and then returned to her food. Severus just shook his head. His life was certainly going to be more interesting with her in it.

The next morning, Amanda didn't wake up until after ten o'clock, which meant she had missed breakfast. After pulling a robe over her lacy nightshirt and tying it tightly, she summoned Blinkie, who appeared almost instantly. "Yes, Miss?"  
"Good morning, Blinkie. Could you please bring me some breakfast? It seems that I overslept this morning." She asked kindly.  
"Of course, Miss. Blinkie will be back with your breakfast as soon as possible." The house elf disappeared from the room, and just as Amanda was settling down her leather couch, Blinkie reappeared, holding a tray of toast, scrambled eggs and strawberries.  
"Thank you, Blinkie." She appreciated all the work that the house elves did at Hogwarts. Not only did they prepare all of the meals, but they cleaned the rooms and brought the staff things that they required. Amanda ate her breakfast in silence, and then went to shower. The weather today felt chilly for August, so she dressed herself in a pair of light-washed slim jeans with a coral coloured tank top, decorated with wooden beads around the neckline, tucked in. She tied her hair up in a perfect messy bun, and headed for the door, making sure she picked up her wand and a pair of brown, low heeled ankle boots. Her walk through the castle was quiet, because most teachers were trying to finish putting together their lessons, as classes started in two days. Suddenly, she had a thought. _I wonder what Harry's up to..._

Five minutes later, Amanda found herself outside of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, knocking loudly on the door. "Come in!" her friend's familiar voice called from the other side of the wooden door. Pushing it open, she headed into the room, smiling at all of the accustomed sights from the past seven years. Harry was sitting at the teacher's desk at the front of the room with about a tonne of parchment scattered around him. He looked up wearily and gave her a half smile. "Hi, Manda."  
"Harry, have you even slept?" she asked him in a worried tone. Her friend looked absolutely dead and overworked. His hair was sticking out more than usual, he had bags under his eyes and he smelled like he hadn't showered in ages. "It's not healthy for you to be so immersed in your work. Here, go take a shower, because you totally need one, and then we'll go for a walk around the lake." Harry smiled gratefully at her.  
"I do need a break…and you're right, I smell really awful." Harry replied, sniffing his shirt and wincing. "Alright, give me twenty minutes. I'll meet you by our old tree." He headed off up to the rooms inside his classroom to take a much needed shower. Amanda just shook her head and ventured outside.

The big tree by the lake was one that the group of friends had been sitting at together since their third year. Amanda sat herself down on her favourite rock and leaned back against the tree, closing her eyes. Her thoughts drifted towards her employer, and she smiled subconsciously. She had to admit to herself, he really was quite an attractive man. The way his hair now hung around his pale face gracefully and how his pitch black eyes would twinkle with laughter. For a man of forty, he still had good looks, and his brains made him even more attractive. When Amanda had been dating Draco, she always felt like she had been lacking something. Yes, he was the Slytherin Sex God and he had top grades, but he still seemed so young. He still liked to do immature little boy things, like pulling pranks on his friends and of course, cheating and fucking around with other girls. Severus Snape, however, was a man. A man with a troubled past, but he was worth getting to know. Lying there in the afternoon sun, she let her mind wander as she awaited the arrival of her best male friend.


	7. Close Encounters

**Side Note: Sorry for the delay guys, as well as a short chapter! But you can really feel things starting to heat up now. ;)**

* * *

It wasn't long before Harry arrived; now looking much more refreshed and definitely devoid of any unpleasant fragrances. Being the 'Chosen One' and all had been a lot of pressure on him, and even though he was only eighteen, Amanda knew that he had seen and done things more advanced than most people three times his age. Hell, he was the one that ended the war by killing Voldemort. The poor guy was lucky to even be alive. Now dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a Gryffindor red long sleeved shirt, he looked haggard, due to an overload of work. Amanda called out to him, and he wandered over to where she was sitting. "Oh my god, you're clean!" she exclaimed with a smirk. Harry rolled his eyes at her.  
"Yeah, yeah. Y'know, I never realized how much work the teachers have to do before the school year even starts. It's hell!" Harry exclaimed, plopping down next to her.  
"Why, did you think that the lessons planned themselves? I mean, magic exists but come on…" She teased, causing him to chuckle. "How are thing going with you and Ginny?"  
"We were fine until I accepted this position. Now, she's mad with me because we can't be a couple apart from when we're away from the school grounds. I tried to explain to her how I was just doing a favour for Minerva but, you know Ginny." He replied with a sigh. "I know it'll blow over, but it seems like every time something she doesn't agree with comes up in my life, its Wizarding War III."  
"I get where you're coming from. Draco used to be the same way." Amanda replied, almost wistfully. Harry reached over and gave his friend a one armed squeeze.  
"Do you miss him sometimes, even though he's a complete dumbass?" Harry inquired.  
"Sometimes, I think I miss him more than I should. Really, I think I just miss having someone who cares about me, like how you care about Ginny. Know what I mean?" She sighed, leaning against Harry. He smiled down at her and nodded.  
"Things are going to be okay, Manda. I promise. Our new jobs are going to be good for both of us."

Later on that day, Amanda decided that she'd take a trip to the library to review some of her potions knowledge. Madam Pince regarded her with a small smile; she'd always liked Amanda because she never returned books late and always took great care of them. Wandering around the library, Amanda came to a sudden realization: she could go into the Restricted Section without having to actually sneak in! Upon touching the gate latch, it flung open to her and allowed her to enter the forbidden area. She grinned at all of the knowledge now available to her. She happened to glance in the direction of romance fiction and figured it couldn't hurt to just look…

Twenty minutes later, Amanda was sitting propped up against a bookcase, nose buried inside a romantic-erotic novel. Reading about how the muscle male stole kisses from the heroin almost made her miss how Draco used to surprise her in the corridors by popping out of nowhere and pulling her into secret crevices, where they would be pressed up against each other until someone found them. She was so engrossed in the book and her own thoughts that she didn't notice someone approach the bookcase until they cleared their throat, and she heard the silky voice she'd come to enjoy. "Good book?"  
"Oh! Sorry, am I blocking the books you need to get to?" She pulled herself up, flustered.  
"Not at all. I just wandered in looking for a new read, and happened to find you. What are you reading, anyway?" Severus asked, grabbing at the book in her hand. Amanda snatched it away and backed up a couple steps.  
"Oh no, this is my private reading. You don't need to know!" She giggled, and turned the corner. Severus sighed and followed after her, but he wasn't quick enough. He turned the same corner as her, but she was no longer there.  
"Where are you?" he whispered in the empty bookshelves, listening for footsteps around him.  
"Find me, Severus." She replied quietly, in a tone that made the middle-aged man almost shiver. He tip-toed around the shelves, making sure to check behind him before turning any corners. Eventually, he found himself at the back of the restricted section. Just as he reached the back wall, he felt and warm breath of air on the back of his neck. He spun around and faced his former student, who was far closer than she should have been, in his opinion. _Or is she…? _He wondered. Amanda looked him dead in the eyes, her piercing blues meeting his steely blacks. She leaned in closer and closer, until he could almost feel her eyelashes every time she blinked. Her mouth opened and she whispered, "Boo." Then with a smile, she fled from the library, leaving Severus Snape with a dropped jaw and slightly tighter pants.


	8. Surprise, Surprise

The morning of September 1st was the busiest day of the year at Hogwarts. Teachers bustled around the castle, arranging their classrooms and gathering together only briefly for breakfast. Amanda had dressed in more professional attire this morning, wearing a set of emerald green wizard's robes with her hair pulled back off her face. It was almost 10 o'clock before she headed towards the Potions classroom, where she knew Professor Snape would be. Sure enough, as soon as she reached the propped open door, she saw a dark figure sitting at the front desk. Glancing over her employer, she worried silently. He looked overtired, overworked and he was clearly overthinking something. He was dressed in his customary black robes and his hair hung damp around his face; obviously he'd just showered. Amanda approached his desk carefully. "Severus, are you okay?" He looked up at her, and she noted the dark bags under his eyes.  
"Yes, I'm just fine. I'm simply stressed with the start of the school year." He replied, almost curtly. She was taken aback; he had never been short with her before.  
"Want me to take over the rest of the planning? I know the basics of the first and second year lessons." She offered, hoping to prove that she was more than just a pretty face around here. She really wanted to show she'd earned her placement. But again, he shut her out.  
"I'm perfectly capable of doing my job, thank you. If you want something to do, go organize the stock cupboard." He told her, returning to his notes. With a sigh, Amanda turned to the stock cupboard near the back of the room. She remembered the general placement of his materials, and began to rearrange out of place objects. Every half hour, he would look up at her and then go back to his notes, just to make sure she was still working. Around 2 o'clock, she was so sore from lifting some of the heavier things on to the higher shelves that she slumped down to the floor and leaned back against the bare brick wall, staring at the ceiling. _I wonder what I've done to cause him to be so rude to me. It couldn't be about what happened in the library the other day…or could it?_ She wondered to herself. Unfortunately, he happened to look over at her as she was sitting on the floor, staring blankly into space and he just about lost his rag with her. "Ms. Harris, are you finished sorting the supplies?" He queried.  
"Well no, but my arms are a bit tired from lifting so I thought that- -"But he cut her off with an icy stare.  
"No excuses, and no more breaks until you are finished. Get up." He demanded quietly before looking back down at his lesson plans. Sick of being treated poorly, Amanda stood up and strutted angrily over to his desk, slapping her hands down right in front of him.  
"What the hell is wrong with you? Have I done something to offend you or piss you off?" She whispered nastily. Severus didn't even bother to look up before replying to her.  
"Ms. Harris, I would kindly ask you to remove yourself from my desk before I do something I will likely regret later on." He spoke quietly, which only provoked her further.  
"Fine, do it then. Get sent to Azkaban. All because you are too afraid to tell someone what is on your mind." She spat at him. His head snapped up and he was around the desk in a matter of seconds, nose to nose with his intern.  
"You want to know what's on my mind? Alright. Stop by my office later and we'll have a chat." He pulled back and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to calm himself down.  
"Why not now?" Amanda demanded, and he pointed towards the clock.  
"The students will be arriving shortly. It's time to go to the Great Hall."

Amanda had just sat down at the head table when the second through seventh year students began to file in. Various students recognized her and waved or smiled at her. It was almost weird to think that she wasn't much older than a lot of them, but here she was, sitting with the rest of the teachers. Her place was between Severus and Madam Hooch, the flying instructor, neither of whom were present. She sat quietly in her seat, listening to the chatter of students around her until someone called out her name. Looking up, her eyes met Luna's and she smiled and motioned for her to come up to the table. The blonde girl rushed forward and Amanda stood up just in time to catch her hug. Grinning, they pulled away from the embrace. "How are you, Luna? Any problems at the house I should be worried about?" She joked.  
"Nope, everything's just fine at home. I reorganized my room before I left. Draco stopped by again after you left. He tagged along with Blaise." Luna replied, trying to sound nonchalant. Amanda tensed.  
"Why?" She questioned tersely. Her temper was still running a bit high from her argument earlier.  
"He just wanted to know if he could stop by sometime and talk to you. He's mad that you keep returning his letters, unopened." She told her, and Amanda scoffed.  
"If he stops by, he'll find that he won't be able to enter my quarters. Now you better go sit down, the first years are coming in soon." Hugging her friend once again, she sat back down and watched Luna wander back to the Ravenclaw table wistfully. Suddenly, she found herself almost squished between her two previous professors and then the doors banged open and Minerva walked in, followed by a line of terrified looking first years. They glanced around nervously and whenever one happened to meet her eyes, Amanda smiled encouragingly at them. She watched as Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on each of their heads and called out one of the four houses respectively. After the last first year was sorted into Gryffindor, Minerva walked to her seat, right in the middle of the table and stood briefly to wish everyone a happy year, before tucking in to eat. As she was eating, Amanda continuously glanced at the Potions master. He still looked annoyed and when he caught her staring at him, he frowned.  
"May I ask what you are looking at?" He asked her in a quiet tone.  
"Nothing, sir. Nothing at all." She replied lightly before standing to excuse herself from the meal. As she was leaving, he whispered just loudly enough for her to hear.  
"Don't forget; my quarters, tonight at 10."

After freshening up in her own quarters, Amanda changed into a pair of grey sleep shorts and a plain white tank top before heading to the portrait of Salazar. He looked at her, smirked and let her in without even asking for a password. She padded into his quarters and sat down on his couch silently, waiting for some sort of demand as to how she got in without using the password. Moments later, Severus appeared from his bedroom, dressed only in a pair of Slytherin green pants and black slippers. "In case you were wondering, I have instructed Salazar to permit you to enter without a password. This is for emergency reasons, as there aren't any other people down here and you aren't likely to run around the castle and look for someone if needed. I would hope you will allow me the same permission for your quarters." He explained, sitting in the leather chair across from her. "Now, I suppose you'd like to know why I was so short with you earlier today."  
"I just want to know what I did to provoke it." She replied, shifting to sit crossed-legged. Severus watched her movements, and as she bent over slightly, he couldn't help but notice the small amount of cleavage that her shirt revealed. Shaking himself back to his senses, he sighed.  
"I apologize for being rude. The beginning of the school year always stresses me out, and then in addition to that, I keep making a fool of myself in front of a very pretty girl." His voice trailed off and his eyes couldn't meet hers. Amanda sat there, almost stunned in silence. Almost.  
"You think I'm pretty?" She managed to squeak out. _Oh my god, we're acting like nervous pre-teens._ She thought to herself. He coughed and his eyes darted to hers and then away again.  
"I mean, merely from a professional stand point. You are an attractive women, and it can be quite distracting. Perhaps you should dress more appropriately while we're working." He told her, in a serious tone. "I think you should probably leave now. Even though it's a Saturday, final planning is tomorrow. I'll stop by your quarters around 8. Sleep well." With that he stood up and wandered back to his bedroom. Confused, Amanda departed back to her own room, mind clouded with questions.

The next morning, Amanda woke up just after 7 and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. While she washed up, her conversation from the previous night ran through her mind over and over. _He thinks I'm pretty._ She smiled at the thought. Shutting off the shower, she hopped out and reached for a towel, and then realized that she'd forgotten to get a new one after tossing the previous one in the laundry. Since she had left her wand in her room, Amanda had to walk down to her linen closet. Just as she was trekking across her living room, her front door opened and in strolled a very early Severus Snape. "I'm sorry I'm early, I just - Oh my god." He paused, wide eyed when he saw her standing there, dripping wet and 100% naked. His eyes raked hungrily over her body but he tore them away. "I'm so sorry." He exclaimed, looking hard at the ground and slowly placing his hands in front of his crotch. Bright red, Amanda grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself tightly.  
"I, uh, thought you weren't going to be here until 8." She said, still embarrassed. Severus chanced a look up and although she was still barely covered, it was easier that her being completely nude.  
"I guess I was a little too early…sorry." He blushed a deep shade of red and looked away again. "Shall I come back again in 10 minutes?" Amanda nodded and ran back up to her room, giving Severus some time to go back to his own quarters and deal with his new 'problem'.


	9. The Welcome Back Ball

Severus returned to Amanda's room almost fifteen minutes later, slightly less sexually frustrated but still angry at himself for doing something so foolish. This time when he arrived, he knocked on her portrait instead of just bursting in. He heard her voice call 'come in!' from the other side, and the raven's picture swung open. Amanda was sitting cross-legged on her couch with what appeared to be a seventh year Potions textbook. She had substantially more clothing on this time, dressed in a pair of black Bermuda shorts and a tight fitting Ravenclaw blue t-shirt. Her hair, which was still wet, hung in layers around her face. She looked up at him and smiled slightly. "Sorry, I'm just reviewing on a couple of concepts." She told him, gesturing at the textbook.  
"I'm glad you're trying to establish a better understanding on your own time." He replied, drifting into her kitchen space to pour himself a cup of tea. "Would you like to review over lesson plans now or later?"  
"I guess now would probably be the best time for it. Have you decided whether or not to teach the poisons lesson to the first years yet?" She inquired, settling down into the couch and readying herself for the debate she expected to come next.

After what seemed like hours of arguing, yelling and almost tantrums, the two had come to an agreement about the necessary lessons to be taught to each of the years for the term. Amanda was now sitting in her window sill, glancing at the beautiful castle grounds. Her hair was pulled back in a curly ponytail, with a few tendrils escaping into her face. Severus just stared at her, collecting his papers and plans. The way the window light was shining onto her face was almost angelic, and he could barely bring himself to turn away from her as she looked over at him. "Severus, are you going to the ball tonight?" she asked. Of course, she was referring to the Welcome Back ball that McGonagall had decided to throw this year. Severus nodded slowly.  
"Yes, but only because it is required for all staff without previous engagements to attend and lucky me, I happen to be available since our lesson plans are done." He replied in a sardonic tone. Amanda rolled her eyes and arose from the window sill.  
"I think it's a great idea. Minerva just wants to create more inter-house unity." She commented. "Now, I'm not trying to be rude or anything, but I must request you to leave. I have to start preparing myself for tonight." Amanda told her boss with a smile. Now it was his turn to roll his eyes.  
"Miss Harris, do you really think it's going to take you four hours to get ready for a silly dinner and dance?" He walked towards the exit as he said this, but as he departed, he heard her reply,  
"If I want to put myself in the big leagues, then yes."

Hours later, Amanda stood in front of the full length mirror in her bedroom and smiled toothily at her appearance. Her shiny, black hair hung in charmed waves around her face. Her makeup was simple and elegant, with just a small amount of black mascara and nude coloured lips. The thing that was really making her grin was her dress. It was fitted, floor length, strapless and black. The sweetheart neckline complimented her chest beautifully and it was adorned with tiny diamonds along the bust. She paired the outfit with a pair of black, strappy stiletto heels. After picking her a matching clutch bag to place her wand in, she headed out for the ball, but not before receiving a compliment from Brenner, who told her she looked stunning. She thanked him profusely, and then proceeded towards the Great Hall.

Heads turned to look at Amanda as she entered the Great Hall. She kept her eyes trained on the Head table as she marched up the middle of the room, ignoring the stares from everyone else. As she passed by Luna, her best friend whispered "You look hot as hell." Amanda smiled at her and touched her shoulder in acknowledgement as she passed. Finally, she reached her seat at the Head table, sitting down next to a very awe-struck looking Harry. Minerva waited a few moments longer and once she was sure that everyone had arrived, she announced the beginning of the feast and everyone's meals appeared in front of them. Harry was still looking at Amanda as if she had grown a third head.  
"Did you realize that almost every guy in this room has their eye trained on you right now? Shit, even some of the females do!" He whispered to her as he dug into his mashed potatoes. She laughed and looked at him.  
"Harry, don't be silly. They're probably looking at you, Mister Chosen One. Even if they did go to school with you for a number of years, you're still famous." She replied, sipping on a glass of white wine.  
"I'd have to disagree with you, Manda. Look around, and watch all the embarrassed faces look away!" In saying this, Harry gestured out into the hall, making a couple students turn away almost immediately.  
"You're crazy." She told him without even looking up. Without another word, they returned to their meals and waited for the dancing to begin.

Once everyone was finished their meals, Professor McGonagall cleared away the tables and music began to play throughout the room. Students began to pair off, some dancing gracefully and others awkwardly. Amanda watched Hagrid offer his hand to a blushing Minerva, and sighed. Harry tapped her on the shoulder not a moment later. "Care to dance, my beautiful best friend?" he asked her with a smile. Amanda grinned at him and nodded; Harry was one of the sweetest guys she'd ever had the pleasure to become friends with. They waltzed around the room a bit, but there was a burning question on her mind.  
"Harry, do you get to dance with Ginny tonight?" she wondered, and Harry let out a long breath.  
"Yes, but we have to wait until a bit later on, when some of the younger students have filtered out. Merlin knows why." He shrugged, and they continued to dance until the song ended. Throughout the night, Amanda danced with Hagrid, Professor Flitwick, a couple of her younger friends and again with Harry. She was laughing with her best friend when she noticed the doors to the Great Hall open and saw Professor Snape slip into the room. Excusing herself from the dance, she made her way over to him. He was dressed in his customary black attire, however his hair was in a little ponytail and he was wearing a crisp, white shirt under his black robes. His back was to her as he poured himself a drink and she snuck up behind him, laying a hand on his shoulder.  
"May I have this dance?" She asked him in a low, sultry voice. He spun around and his jaw dropped almost visibly. He shook himself and held out his hand to her.  
"Of course. Why should I refuse a dance with a beautiful woman?" He responded with a rare, true smile. He led her out onto the dance floor and the pair danced close together, swaying in time to the slow tune. "You're a wonderful dancer, Miss Harris." He complimented her. _That's two compliments! _ She thought cheerily to herself.  
"Thank you, Severus. You're quite the dancer yourself." She said with approval. In response, he dipped her back over his arm and then straightened her up, as if she were light as a feather.  
"I took classes." He laughed. They continued to dance until McGonagall called for last song of the night. By that time, Amanda noticed, there were hardly any students left. As the final song came on, Severus pulled her up flush against him and she rested her head on his chest. They slow danced past a blissful Harry and Ginny, who looked gorgeous in a long-sleeved champagne coloured dress. By the time the song was over, they were the only two couples still dancing. The rest of the teachers had already seen to the mess, so when the music stopped, everyone said their goodnights and headed off to their own quarters. Amanda and Severus walked down to the dungeons together, still in a bit of a daze about their delightful evening. Once they reached the portrait of Salazar, she knew it was time to say goodnight. Severus looked at her, and rewarded her with another smile. "Thank you for a wonderful night, Miss Harris. I almost forgot how to have fun until I hired you." Amanda smiled sheepishly and then stepped closer towards him, until they were chest to chest. _Here it goes, _she thought.  
"Please, call me Amanda." And with that, she placed her lips gently over top of his for a brief moment of what felt like pure heaven. Quickly, she pulled away and looked at his face. All she could read was shock. "Goodnight, Severus. Sweet dreams." As she walked off down the hall, he touched his lips in surprise and upon entering his room, he found that for the second time today, he had a certain 'problem' that needed to be taken care of.


	10. Wait, You Like Me Too?

Amanda awoke groggily the next morning and shook her curls out of her face. As she dragged herself into the bathroom, she remembered what had happened the night before. _Oh my god, I kissed him! _She thought to herself, and almost grimaced. She knew this was going to make things extremely awkward between the two of them. She sighed, and hopped into the shower, mentally preparing herself for what could be a horrible day.

Half an hour later and a couple pieces of toast later, Amanda exited through her portrait hole wearing an orange and white tiger striped tank top and light wash jeans with rips in them. She didn't care whether she looked professional or not, it was a Sunday and the night before had been a party. Her golden flip flops sounded loud in the empty hallway; after all, it was only just after nine. She had smartly stuffed some money into her pockets and her belt had a special holster for her wand. Hogsmeade would be open by nine thirty, so after a moment's thought, she headed downstairs and out towards the small town.

Thankfully everything was open by the time she arrived, so she dashed into Honeyduke's to grab something for her sweet tooth, as well as some treats for later on and gifts to send to her younger cousin, Felicity. Departing the store ten minutes later, she munched on a lemon sherbet and decided to pay a visit to the Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes store just down the road. She hoped that George wasn't going to be in one of his moods when she went in. Although she understood how hard it was for him to lose his twin brother, he sometimes brought out his problems into his business. Pushing open the doors, Amanda realized that the store was practically empty, apart from an elderly man exploring the Pygmy Puff cages. "George!" she called out. A little blonde girl popped her head around the corner of a shelf and smiled. Amanda knew the girl was one of his employees but she couldn't remember her name to save her life.  
"Hi… George is just upstairs in his flat. Your name's Amanda, right?" The blonde witch pointed to the stairs on their left. "I'll send you right on up. He needs someone to get his spirits up."  
"Thank you." Amanda replied with a smile, and she started to head up the stairs but she stopped when the girl called out behind her.  
"Oh, and my name is Katia. I'm the mind reader." She reminded her.  
"Right, sorry. I do know who you are; I just couldn't put a name to the face." Amanda grinned sheepishly. Katia smiled and waved her on. She headed up the stairs and through the door at the top, which passed into the flat that George now lived in by himself. She checked the rooms with open doors, but he was nowhere to be found. "George? It's me, Amanda." She called out.  
"Last door on the left." A small voice replied. Rushing down the hallway, the black haired girl flung open the door to what must have been Fred's bedroom. Sitting on the double bed was George, head bowed and looking down at a picture of his twin and him; they were laughing and joking around together. He looked up and his face was streaked with tears. "It's not fair, Manda." He choked out. She sat down on the bed next to him and threw an arm around his shoulders, pulling him close.  
"I know, honey. The war took so many good people, and left too many of the bad ones behind. He was a good man, and a great brother. Dwelling on his death is not what he would have wanted you to do." She whispered gently to him. "Perhaps you should move out of the flat. I heard you had opened up a new location in Diagon Alley. I'm sure you could make some additions there." George looked at her and managed a watery smile.  
"Maybe. I'll definitely consider in when I'm back in my right mind. I'm sorry you had to find me like this." He told her, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.  
"Hey, don't worry about it. It's what friends are for." She kissed him lightly on the cheek, which brought a real smile to his face. "Now, would you care to show me some of your new products?"

After stopping in the tea shop, the potioneers and the little clothing shop, Amanda trudged back up to the castle with an arm load of shopping bags and a huge grin. Her pockets were considerably lighter but she didn't care. She had almost forgotten about the previous night's encounter until she reached the dungeons. Lo and behold, as the turned the corner towards the hallway with her living quarters she ran right into Severus Snape, dropping most of her bags. His eyes pierced hers in a very intense way as he apologized and began to pick up her bags. "Oh, don't worry about it." She heard herself reply, "It was my fault."  
"Nonsense. Here." He handed her the shopping bags abruptly and began to stalk off up the stairs, but turned around about half way up. "I need to speak with you later on. May I visit your quarters around ten tonight?" his voice carried to her down the stairs.  
"Sure, I'll have some tea ready for you. See you then." She replied, dreading the conversation that awaited her.

Dinner passed by, and Blinkie had brought up some wonderful baked potatoes and mixed vegetables from the kitchens. Amanda had been too busy reading her new herbs book and trying on some of her purchases. She was especially pleased with her lingerie and the slinky off the shoulder sweater she had bought in heather grey. At the moment however, she had changed into a pair of black sweatpants and a neon pink tank top that she knew made her boobs look fantastic. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun and her bangs hung around her face, framing it delicately. Even when she was in relaxed clothing, she knew how to make herself look good. Severus arrived just after ten, entering through the portrait hole silently. "Amanda?" he yelled into the empty room.  
"I'm in the kitchen. Just sit down and make yourself comfortable." She replied, and moments later she carried a tray with two cups of steaming hot tea and a plate of chocolate chip cookies into the living room. Severus thanked her, and took a bite into one of the cookies.  
"These are really good, did you make them?" He asked her, sounded amazed.  
"Of course. I'm a rather proficient baker." She replied with a smile.  
"Would you teach me sometime?" He grabbed another one and devoured it. Amanda laughed and nodded.  
"Sure. I can also make brownies, cakes, cupcakes, chocolate, pie and some simple pastries." He looked astonished, and she laughed again. "My grandma taught me how to bake. She owned a bakery in her younger years."  
"You're lucky you knew your grandmother. I was forbidden from seeing one of mine, and the other was long gone before I was even considered." He told her. "However, I believe that we are getting extremely off topic, although I would love to hear all about your family some other time." Amanda nodded and re-adjusting herself so that she was sitting with her legs crossed. She also couldn't help but notice her former professor's eyes glance towards her chest when she had leaned forward.  
"So, why did you ask me to have a chat with you? Other than to eat all of my cookies, of course." She teased, taking one for herself. He gave her a small smile, but then returned to a more serious expression.  
"I asked you if I may speak with you tonight because I wanted to discuss what happened last night and what's been happening since you arrived here this year." He began, clearly trying to start off slow. "I enjoy your company very much. I like that you have a sense of humor and you are extremely intelligent. I admire your baking skills as much as your potion making skills. We share a common taste in music as well as books, most of the time. I find our conversations stimulating and intriguing." He paused and smiled at her. Amanda sat there, speechless and her face was almost as bright as her shirt. "But you're still so young, and I…. I am not. I'm over twice your age. By now, I might sound silly to you, especially if I have read your previous actions incorrectly. To me, it seems as though you are interested in me. I am extremely flattered, since no one has looked at me twice in years, but… you're only eighteen." He finished somewhat awkwardly, trying to find something else to say to her. She knew she looked hurt and confused, and after looking at her, his face confirmed it.  
"I turn nineteen next week, if that means anything to you." She said in an almost whisper before looking down at her lap. Severus sighed and rose from his chair, then moved to sit next to her. He took one of her hands in his, which surprised both of them.  
"Look at me." He whispered to her. Slowly her gaze met his; her blue eyes staring into his almost black ones. "I like you. But we need to put work first, ahead of a personal relationship. We can always take things slow, but I'd feel better about it if we didn't try anything until after your birthday." He reassured her. Her smile grew with every word he said to her; he liked her!  
"Okay, I understand. May I give you a kiss goodnight, on the cheek?" She inquired, batting her eyelashes in a silly way. He laughed which was a deep, beautiful sound to her ears and nodded. They stood up and walked over to the door, his hand still gripping hers. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Although this was the second man she kissed on the cheek today, this one contained much more emotion and passion. Severus turned his head and kissed her cheek in a similar way. As he was departing, and he turned around to look at her again.  
"Let me take you out for a nice dinner on your birthday. I promise you won't regret it." As she nodded in agreement, he smiled and wandered out into the corridor. Shutting the door behind her, Amanda ran upstairs with a huge smile on her; the conversation had gone even better than she could have imagined.


	11. Oh Shit!

**Sorry for a shorter chapter. I'm trying to keep the story interesting without overdoing it. Let me know how you like it! **

* * *

Monday mornings are always hard, no matter whom you are. But this particular Monday, Amanda rolled out of bed with a smile on her face. Severus had finally admitted his feelings for her, and was willing to take the next step after she turned nineteen. She grinned through her shower, her makeup routine and the entire time she was getting dressed into her burnt sienna coloured wizard's robes. The Great Hall was already full of students when she arrived for breakfast. As she was passing the Ravenclaw table, Luna grabbed her by the arm. "You look really happy." She exclaimed with a big smile of her own. "Can we sit and chat later? I miss being able to see you whenever I want."  
"Totally. I'll meet you in the library after dinner, okay? Then we can pretend that I'm helping you with potions homework." She winked at the younger girl before continuing to the Head table. Today, she sat between Harry and Professor Sprout, who looked positively grumpy this morning. "Hi Harry, how are you?" she asked her best friend while piling pancakes onto her plate.  
"Actually, I'm not fairing too bad. It doesn't look like I'm going to have any trouble in my classes, which is great and Ginny has come to terms with the fact that our relationship has to be put on hold for the time being." He told her. "How about you, Manda?" She took a bite of her pancakes and looked thoughtfully at him.  
"Things are going quite well for me. The, ah situation that we talked about before has worked out in my favour." She grinned slyly at him. Harry shook his head and laughed.  
"Really?" He sounded disbelieving.  
"Really." She confirmed. "We'll talk about it later, okay? I've got to head back downstairs to help prepare today's lesson." Harry nodded and Amanda hurried back downstairs to assist her soon-to-be lover with the lesson plans.

"Good morning, Miss Harris. You look radiant in that colour." Professor Severus Snape greeted her with a warm smile.  
"Thank you, sir. How may I assist you this morning?" She asked him, perching herself on his desk. He looked up and pointed towards the store cupboards.  
"Could you grab the ingredients for Polyjuice potion? I'm almost positive that there is enough in there." He informed her, before looking back down at his papers. Amanda dashed into the other room, and began pulling out the components of the desired potion. She heard students begin to drift into the room and she glanced hurriedly around for the Lacewing flies. Severus began speaking in the other room and she knew that she had to pick up the pace. Moments later, she knew she had taken too long. "Miss Harris, are you having a problem?" he called to her. She poked her head out of the store cupboard and sighed.  
"I can't find the flies. I've checked everywhere in here. Perhaps you should have a look, since you know the layout better than I do." She told him, with just a hint of sarcasm in her voice. A few students at the back snickered and Professor Snape shot them an icy glare.  
"Very well. We will be back in a moment. Please do not set anything on fire, I do not wish to spend time with any of you in detention tonight." He followed Amanda into the next room and raised an eyebrow at her. "You really can't find the flies?"  
"No, sir." She replied, shaking her head. He sighed and grabbed up the rest of the ingredients.  
"Check the third cupboard, second shelf. They should be there." He told her, and before drifting back into the classroom he turned back to look at her. "I do hope this wasn't some clever ruse to get me alone in here." He said in a low voice, and he had the audacity to wink at her before exiting the store room. Amanda flushed a bright red and her cheeks inadvertently puffed out in anger. She opened the suggested cupboard and checked the second shelf. Sure enough, the flies were there although they had been hidden behind other jars. After counting to ten to calm herself down, she re-entered the Potions classroom, where Severus had already begun concocting the potion. He gave her a sideways glance and motioned for her to place the lacewing flies with the other ingredients. "Miss Harris, would you please write the instructions out on the board for me?" he asked.  
"Sure, professor." She replied, and began writing out the lesson so that students could follow along. She listened to him speak, enjoying the rich tones of his voice. Even though she enjoyed his company, she could hardly wait to spend some time with Luna later that day.

After dinner, Amanda strolled into the library wearing a plain black v-neck t-shirt tucked into a pair of crisp white jeans. She had decided to change out of her robes, since she very much enjoyed her own personal style. Luna waved her over from a back corner, and the dark haired girl joined her at the table. Amanda looked her friend over; Luna had changed into a grey and white striped long sleeved shirt and a pair of high-waisted pink shorts with a black belted looped through them. "Are those my shorts?" She asked the blonde, who smiled slyly at her.  
"Perhaps they are. I believe you left quite a few of your clothes in my closet." Luna told her. "Anyway, have you heard from Draco lately?"  
"No, actually. I'm surprised but at the same time, I'm not. He was pretty upset last time when I kicked him out. I may owl him tonight, just to see how he's doing." She shrugged, and Luna frowned.  
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" She looked skeptical. Amanda sighed and shrugged again.  
"Honestly, I don't know. I just know that he can't get into my quarters, since I told Brenner that he was not permitted." She explained. "But enough about him for now. How are things between you and Neville recently?"  
"He told me that he's ready to commit to a serious relationship this morning." Luna smiled genuinely. "I couldn't be happier."  
"Luna, that's fantastic! He's such a great guy." Amanda closed her hands over her friend's and grinned at her. "I couldn't be happier for you." She assured her.  
"Perhaps we could go somewhere for your birthday? I heard there was a new diner opening up in Hogsmeade. It's supposed to be filled with muggle paraphernalia." Luna informed her. Amanda smiled almost sheepishly.  
"As long as you don't mind going out on Saturday instead of Friday. I kind of already have a date that night…" Her voice trailed off, and Luna just stared at her inquisitively.  
"Well, I know it's not with Draco." She said confidently. "So, who's this mystery man taking you out for birthday dinner?" Amanda blushed and looked away from her companion.  
"Severus asked me." She responded quietly. Before Luna could say anything, an angry noise had come from behind one of the bookshelves near them. Amanda didn't have to wait for the man to come out from behind them to pierce her with his stormy eyes; the sound had been enough. Draco had come to visit Hogwarts and he had overheard everything.


	12. Practice Makes Perfect

Amanda could hardly believe what was happening; what the hell was Draco doing here?! In fact, she decided to find this out for herself. "Draco, why are you here?" she knew she sounded scared, but she was determined not to break down. Draco kept his icy gaze on her as he approached the table wearing a black hoodie and dark blue jeans. He placed his hands down on the table and leaned in, putting his nose close to hers.  
"I thought I would stop by to see you. I had gotten a tip off from a good friend that you were seeing someone else, and I thought I would find out for myself. Besides, it's a free country and I used to go to school here too. I have every right to be here." He whispered in a harsh tone. Luna sat there silently, looking from her scared best friend to her scary ex-boyfriend. He looked at the blonde girl with a sneer. "Off you go, Loony. I have things to settle with my dearest." Giving Amanda a significant look, she got up and scampered off away from the table. He turned back to look at his once lover and sat in Luna's vacated seat. "You told her you hadn't heard from me, and that you would write me. That is a lie, I have written you twice. _Twice._" He snarled. Amanda scrunched up her face in confusion.  
"You have? But I haven't received – oh." She paused, thinking for a moment. "I guess since I have you banned from entering my quarters, your letters won't go through either." She explained quietly. A look of hurt crossed his face, but then his anger returned.  
"You really did ban me then." Draco's voice shook with emotion. Suddenly, he stood and flipped the table, sending a few stray books flying across the room. Amanda wished that there was someone around to witness this, but it seemed that everyone had evacuated the library. "_HOW COULD YOU?" _He screamed, tears now streaming down his cheeks. "I loved you; I still love you! I want to make things work. Why won't you give me another chance?" He collapsed onto the ground, knees to his chest and pulling at his hair. Amanda had never seen him freak out like this before, not even when his mother was brutally tortured during the war. She knelt down next to him and took a deep breath.  
"Draco, you know why. We've been over this so many times in the past couple months that I don't know why you need to hear it again. _You_ cheated on _me._ You willingly chose to sleep with another girl while you were in a relationship with me. You're lucky that you weren't my first, or there really would have been hell to pay. However, I am sick of your childish behaviour and I want to move on with my life. It's time that you do the same." She said this with such determination and resolve that he had to look up at her, and he winced at the look on her face.  
"You really don't care for me anymore." He whispered, and more tears leaked from his eyes. She rested a hand on his shoulder, and she shook her head at him.  
"I care about you; as my _friend._ If you can't be my friend, you can't be my anything." She told him, and she rose from the ground. Another thought came into her head and she opened her mouth to ask him something, but closed it again. _No, I have to know._ She thought. "Draco, who told you I was interested in someone else?" He stood up and dusted himself off, then began walking towards the door.  
"That's none of your business." He replied in his old, sneering voice. "I will be back for you." With that, he departed and Amanda sat down against the bookcase and began to cry.

After what felt like hours later, Amanda started and sat up. _I must have fallen asleep,_ she thought and she rubbed her eyes. Startled, she realized that she was lying on top of her own bed in her quarters. Looking around, she found a note on top of her bedside table. It read:

_Amanda,  
Luna came to find me and as soon as she explained what was going on, we rushed to your aid. Unfortunately we arrived too late to be of any help to the situation and it appeared as though Draco had already left the castle. Stupid twit. You were asleep when we got to you, so I carried you to your bedroom. Sweet dreams.  
Severus_

Amanda couldn't help but smile. She was glad that Luna had gone to him over Minerva. After checking the time, she realized it was already after five thirty in the morning. She combed her hair up into a ponytail and dressed in wizard's robes again, this time they were a shade of royal purple. Stashing her wand inside her robes, she traipsed upstairs but instead of stopping at the main floor she continued up until she reached the seventh floor and stood in front of what appeared to be a plain, brick wall. The Room of Requirement had not been used since the war and since it had sustained damage from a magical fire, no one knew if it would work anymore. Closing her eyes, Amanda paced in front of the door three times. When she was done asking her requirement, she opened her eyes and grinned. The door had appeared for her. She walked towards it and cautiously opened the big, wooden door to reveal the inside. Thankfully, the room was still useable. She had wished for somewhere to practice her old muggle pastimes, like archery and boxing. The room now held a target at one end of the room and next to it was a table that had a bow and arrows on top of it. The other side of the room had another table with a pair of boxing gloves on it next to a punching bag and a boxing bag. She told the room to remember this set up for her next time she stopped by, and it wavered to show understanding. Amanda departed from the room with a huge grin on her face.

By the time she reached the dungeons after eating a quick breakfast, Severus had already set up for the lesson that day. He eyeballed her from his desk as she entered and once she approached his desk, he spoke to her. "How are you after last night?" He asked her, his voice filled with concern. She shrugged and sat down on the corner of his desk.  
"Considering my crazy ex-boyfriend almost attacked me, I'm not too bad. Thank you for ensuring that I got back to my quarters unharmed." She said in a low voice, looking down at her hands. He walked around the desk and stood in front of her and lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes.  
"I was happy to do it for you. I'm sorry I wasn't there sooner." He told her with sincerity. He leaned in a bit and she was so ready to kiss him until a voice over by the door went _Ahem!_ loudly. He jumped back from her almost guiltily as they both stared at Harry, who stood in the doorway with his eyebrows raised.  
"Minerva asked me to let you both know that there will be a meeting tomorrow night to discuss the issue that occurred with Draco last night. You're okay, Manda?" She nodded, and Harry continued. "Right. Well, if that son of a bitch tries anything else, he's a dead son of a bitch. Remember tomorrow night, eight thirty in the Headmistress's office." He left without another word and Amanda released a breath she hadn't realized that she was holding. She turned to look at her former professor, who was standing extremely far away from her now. He shook himself and returned to his side of the desk, sorting his papers.  
"I don't think I'll need your assistance in class. It's just a bunch of note-taking and reading today. If you have anything else you need to get done, please feel free to go do it. I don't have a job for you today." He sounded distant, but unwavering. Amanda sighed, and rose from the desk.  
"Okay. If you do decide that you need me, I'll be up in the Room of Requirement." She informed him. His head jerked up suddenly.  
"The room still works?" He croaked. "Even after the Fiendfyre?" He was perfectly still while waiting for a response.  
"Yes. I tried it this morning before I came here. That's why I was later than usual." She had lowered her voice to a whisper as students had begun to file in. Severus noticed this as well, and leaned in to whisper to her.  
"Wait for me up there after classes are done. I have to see this with my own eyes. I suppose I'll ask it to show me the room you use." She nodded and left the room, excited to go upstairs and practice her skills like she used to.

Hours later, Amanda was sweaty, tired and had no more pent up anger but she continued to take hits on the punching bag. Her hair was pulled back off her face and she was now wearing just a black sports bra and black yoga pants; she had discarded her tank top ages ago. When she had entered the room for the second time, she had also made sure to incorporate a bathroom and small kitchenette area into the setup, along with a stereo, two bean bag chairs and a low table. She had also asked for a small bookcase filled with training books and a yoga mat. Her afternoon had been perfect, and she could only hope that she would be able to use the room at least a couple times a week. Her aim with the bow and arrow was definitely improving; she had hit the bull's-eye multiple times. Since she was almost out of breath, she decided to take a break. Just as she was chugging a bottle of water, the room alerted her that someone was trying to access it. "It's okay as long as it's just Severus Snape." She called out into the room. Moments later, the door opened and Severus slid into the room, his jaw dropped in awe as he looked around.  
"Merlin's pants, are those bows and arrows?" He exclaimed. Apparently the room had added extra equipment as soon as another person had entered.  
"Yeah, I was practicing my shot earlier. I just finished with the punching bag when you came in." She explained, taking a seat in one of the bean bag chairs. She motioned for him to do the same, and he took a seat in the other one.  
"How did you figure out that the room would work again?" He asked, straightening the collar on his white button-down shirt.  
"Honestly, I didn't think that it would work. I just gave it a try." She shrugged, and then looked over at the bow and arrows. "Did you want to give it a try?" She inquired, nodding towards the table. His eyes lit up like a child's on Christmas.  
"I would love to." He said with absolute sincerity. After shooting past the target a couple times, he finally hit it, near the top.  
"See, you're getting better at it already!" She patted him on the shoulder and smiled. "All you had to do was change your stance."  
"How did you learn to do this?" He asked her, focusing on the target. He shot the arrow and it hit the target in almost exactly the same place as the previous one.  
"I went to a lot of summer camps when I was little, since my mom didn't want me around the house when she was drunk. At least she was somewhat considerate." She said bitterly. "Through camps, I learned archery, sailing, fencing and how to canoe, box and play guitar." Severus looked at her and saw the hurt written all over her face. He placed the bow and arrow back on the table and threw an arm around her shoulders.  
"I'm sorry you didn't have a great childhood. Neither did I. But hey, we both turned out okay, didn't we?" He squeezed her into him and she gave him a small smile.  
"Yeah, I guess we did." She checked the clock on the wall and grimaced. "Shit, I have duty tonight on the fifth floor in fifteen minutes and I have to go back downstairs and change into robes again. Would you like to come up here again after dinner tomorrow before we go to Minerva's office?" Severus smiled, and nodded. "Okay. I have to go _now_ but please feel free to continue practicing in here." She grabbed her shirt from its place on the back her chair and pulled in over her head.  
"Thank you, Amanda. You are by far the sweetest and most lovely girl I've encountered in a long time." He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it gently. "I'll see you tomorrow." His silky voice sent shivers down her spine, but she made herself pull away from him and exit from the room. She had never thought her muggle talents would come in handy, but here she was, offering to teach them to a man twice her age. As she ran down the stairs, she could hardly contain a giggle at the thought of her teaching Severus after years of him teaching her.


	13. Bloody Tease!

**AN: Terribly TERRIBLY sorry for such a delay. I'd completely forgotten about this until today and thought I would pump out a new chapter for you guys. Warning, this chapter is a little sensual!**

The next day passed quickly. Amanda could hardly contain her excitement as she exited from the Great Hall after dinner, only briefly telling Harry that she 'had plans'. She rushed down to her quarters to change out of her golden wizards robes and into her preferred Muggle clothing; a pair of cropped black leggings, white running shoes and a Slytherin green sports bra. Pulling a grey hoodie overtop of her ensemble to make it more appropriate for wandering through the castle, she grabbed her wand, a hair elastic and a bottle of water before heading up to the Room of Requirement.

When she arrived, Severus was already waiting for her outside the room. He was dressed simply in grey sweatpants, a plain black t-shirt and a pair of dark running shoes. He looked up as she arrived and smiled at her. "I almost thought you'd forgotten about me." He joked, and she punched him in the arm lightly.  
"Oh shut up, you're here unrealistically early." She retorted, and then she paced back and forth in front of the blank wall until the door to the room appeared. The pair walked through the entrance and Amanda smiled. The room had formed itself similarly to the way that it had the day previous, however today it had also added a water cooler for refilling her water bottle. _Nice one, room._ She thought to herself. Severus gingerly approached the bows and arrows, picking up the same ones that he had used the day before. The target instantly appeared in its proper position. Amanda moved to take her place next to him. He lifted the bow and took aim, but before he could release the arrow, Amanda's hand closed around his. He looked at her, confused.  
"What?" He asked her. She placed her hands on his hips, rotating them slightly. Leaning in, her breath tickled his ear.  
"Your stance is off again." She whispered, and then chuckled slightly before stepping away from him. Severus let out a breath that he didn't know he had been holding; the close contact with her had felt so lovely. Mentally shaking himself, he turned his attentions back to the target. He pulled back then released the arrow, sending it flying through the air. It hit the target almost dead center and Amanda applauded. "Well done, Severus! I've never seen anyone get so close to the bulls-eye so quickly."  
"Well, I had an excellent teacher." He told her sincerely, making her blush.  
"While you practice your shot, I'm going to continue my work with my good old punching bag here. I have more pent up aggression after yesterday's events." Severus nodded at her words, and then refocused. Moments later, he could hear her taking out her anger on the punching bag. He mentally promised himself that he wouldn't look at her until he hit the target at least 3 times. Then his personal reward could be a glance in her direction. After almost 10 minutes, he had finally accomplished his goal. Wiping away a couple beads of sweat, he turned to look in her direction and was almost floored by the image in front of him. Amanda had removed her sweater, now only clad in her leggings and sports bra. _Slytherin green… I wonder if that's for me._ He thought with a smile. She had pulled her hair back into a high ponytail, which swung around wildly as she beat the punching bag with her gloved hands. Sweat dripped off her and he heard her let out a frustrated growl as she gave the bag one final hard hit. _Merlin, who knew watching her work like this would be such a turn-on?_ His thoughts started to run wild until he heard Amanda's voice. He shook himself and noticed that she was a lot closer than he remembered her being moments ago.  
"Sorry, what was that?" He asked and she laughed.  
"I said, we should probably head downstairs to have that meeting with Minerva. It starts in about 15 minutes." She replied breathily, still winding down from her work out. As she was reaching for her sweater, she felt Severus slide his arms around her waist and pull her back against him. She leaned her head against his chest and glanced up at him. He smiled down at her and kissed the top of her head.  
"I just thought that I would take a moment to let you know that that shade of green looks lovely on you." He mumbled into her hair. Amanda chuckled at his comment, and then slid out of his arms to grab her sweater.  
"Of course you'd love Slytherin green, Mister Head of Slytherin House." She continued to chuckle as pulled the sweater over her head. Severus took one last sneaking glance at her breasts while her eyes were covered by the fabric and he made a mental note to never let this witch go.

They arrived outside of Minerva's office almost 5 minutes early for the meeting. Severus knocked, and the door opened itself. He gestured for Amanda to enter first, a very gentlemanly action. Minerva was sat at her desk, which now had a large array of chairs sat around it. Harry, Hagrid and Professor Flitwick were already sat chatting amongst themselves, and they looked up at the new arrivals. Harry waved and patted the chair next to him, which Amanda sat down in and Severus to her other side. "Interesting choice of clothes for a meeting, Manda." He jested. Amanda blushed and looked at the other professors in the room. Everyone else appeared to be dressed much more formally, including some of the other professors who were now entering the room. Minerva looked up from her desk and appeared to have noticed this also, raising an eyebrow.  
"Er-sorry. Severus and I just came from a work out." She explained, and Harry gave her a side-long glance full of questioning. A couple of the other teachers smirked, including Severus. Amanda groaned and rolled her eyes. "Oh, you bloody well know what I mean, you perverts." She hissed, causing the room to erupt in laughter. Even Minerva cracked a smile before clearing her throat, indicating the start of the meeting.  
"Good evening staff, and Miss Lovegood." She nodded at the blonde, who Amanda hadn't even noticed until that moment. "Yesterday evening, there was an incident in the library concerning our Miss Harris and Draco Malfoy." A couple of teachers glanced at each other; clearly they hadn't been informed on this yet. "Miss Harris, would you mind sharing with us your memory from last night?" Minerva asked in a gentle voice. Amanda nodded, and Minerva levitated her Pensive from the cabinet in which Dumbledore had always kept it in. Amanda pulled out her wand and pointed the tip to her temple. Extracting the memory, she placed it directly into the Pensive as the staff gathered around. Luna remained seated, having already witnessed enough of the event and Amanda went over to sit beside her. The blonde patted her friend's leg thoughtfully.  
"I take it that you're feeling much better than yesterday?" Luna whispered, trying not to draw the attention of the staff. Amanda nodded.  
"Much. Thank you for getting Severus yesterday instead of Minerva, by the way. As much as I love the woman, she would've just made the situation worse had she been there right away." The dark haired girl replied quietly, and Luna nodded with a smile and then pointed towards the large group. Clearly the memory was almost over. Once it had ended, Amanda looked around the group in front of her. Minerva's face was filled with sadness. Hagrid and Flitwick looked stunned, as did many of the other teachers. Then her eyes found Severus, who was positively shaking with anger. He turned and blustered out of the room without as much as a word to anyone else. Minerva sighed, and motioned for everyone to return to their seats. She resumed her place at her desk and clasped her hands together in her lap.  
"Now, after watching Miss Harris's memory, what is the verdict? How should we handle this situation?" She looked around the room, and Harry's hand shot up first.  
"I'm going to murder the git." He stated and Minerva gave him a stern look.  
"Potter that is not the solution we're looking for." She reprimanded, and Harry had the grace to look slightly ashamed of himself. "Anyone else?"  
"I think that he should be banned from the premises until further notice, or set a spell that sends him directly to Minerva's office whenever he crosses over the school's boundaries." A quiet voice suggested. The group turned to look towards the door, where Severus stood. No one had noticed his return but the group nodded. Minerva took this as an agreement, and she motioned to dismiss the meeting. Everyone got up to leave to return to their respective places. Luna hugged Amanda tightly, before waltzing off with Professor Flitwick towards the Ravenclaw tower and Harry insisted that he walk part way with her to her quarters. Severus looked as though he was staying behind to talk with Minerva, so Amanda shrugged and agreed. There was no point in arguing with Harry once he got an idea into his mind. As the pair walked towards the Slytherin dungeons, Harry nudged his best friend with his hip.  
"So, were you really just working out together or were you _working out together?_" Harry joked and Amanda shoved him into the wall.  
"We were working out, you prick, and you know it. Severus has started joining me for my evening sessions in the Room of Requirement. He's quite a good archer, actually." She informed her friend and Harry nodded. He could see Snape being good at something like that. "You know Harry; I think I'm really starting to feel something for him." She added in a whisper and Harry just looked at her, a knowing smile on his face.  
"As long as you're happy, Manda." He told her as they reached the top of the descending dungeon staircase. "Goodnight and be careful, okay?" He kissed her gently on the cheek before heading back towards the main hallway. Amanda smiled as she trotted down the stairs. Just as she reached the portrait of Brenner, a hand closed around her wrist. She whirled around, ready to draw her wand (or sock the culprit right in the jaw, whichever came first) when she found herself facing Severus. He still looked angry, but now there was something else darkening his eyes. _Desire._ He pushed her up against the wall gently and placed one hand on the wall next to her head and the other on her hip. He leaned in, his lips brushing against her ear as he whispered to her.  
"Do you know how bloody sexy you are? How good you look when you work out? You look so strong and independent, yet so feminine and soft. It's incredible." He pressed himself against her, letting her feel how incredible he thought she was. Amanda responded by simply crashing her lips down upon his and running her hands through his hair. _It's so soft,_ she thought to herself hazily as she ran a finger down behind his ear. She could feel his excitement throbbing against her thigh, and she lifted her hips, gently grinding against him. Severus growled into her mouth, and retaliated by biting down on her lip, causing her to moan quietly into his mouth. That was when Amanda realized that they were still standing in the corridor, behaving like two horny fifth years. She pulled away from him and leaned her forehead against his. He looked at her with a mixture of confusion, hurt and lust and she couldn't help but chuckle at him.  
"Not tonight, Severus. We're standing in the middle of the corridor, practically humping each other and it's not exactly late at night yet. I'd rather not scar a couple of third years for life." She explained, pulling away from him. He sighed, but nodded.  
"I suppose you're right. I'd like to keep up my frightening disposition and having any student find me like _this_" he gestured towards his attire and the bulge in his pants "certainly would not ensure that." He stepped closer to her and grabbed her left hand, pulling it towards his lips. He planted a gentle kiss on it and Amanda smiled before turning to Brenner, who had a look of utter annoyance on his face.  
"Antirrhinum majus." She told the portrait and it swung open to admit her. As she walked through into her quarters, Amanda turned to look over her shoulder to see Severus still standing there, admiring her. "I can't wait for Friday." She whispered to him, and then laughed as she saw the heat returning to his eyes just as the portrait swung shut behind her. As she began to walk up to her bedroom, she heard Severus from the other side of the door.  
"Bloody tease." He grumbled in a frustrated tone. Amanda laughed all the way up to her bedroom.


End file.
